


Only Gods Know How Unicorns Choose Their Knights

by unicornlover2121



Category: How Best to Use A Sword
Genre: F/F, M/M, Sage the Unicorn is a Brat, So basically, a witch rides a unicorn, and learns of her ancestors, and she marries a ghost, even if i use 0 of pen's characters, it's so awkward posting fanficiton of an ao3 hosted fic, lots of godly stuff, shhhhhh
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-11
Updated: 2019-01-11
Packaged: 2019-09-30 22:25:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17232326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unicornlover2121/pseuds/unicornlover2121
Summary: Ariadne would have had a simple life, as far as a Liberakis witch could, just the obligatory journey around the continent and a crush on a dead, mythical queen.  But nothing is simple in the Liberakis family, and even less is simple when you involve a sassy, violent unicorn with ties to your weird family--A unicorn that is looking for a human rider.Ariadne did not have a simple life: Between her status as a Unicorn Knight, the fact that her girlfriend was a ghost, and her increasing suspicion that she's trapped in whatever bioluminescent dreamscape she rode into, or her draw to the not-god said to protect it?  Ariadne didn't have a simple bone in her body.





	1. All Interactions With Unicorns Are on the Unicorn's Terms

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AntagonizedPenguin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AntagonizedPenguin/gifts).
  * Inspired by [It's Not as Easy as Just Wandering into A Forest and Killing the Witch](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4632171) by [AntagonizedPenguin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AntagonizedPenguin/pseuds/AntagonizedPenguin). 



> I literally cannot believe I am posting fanfiction of a fiction hosted on the fanfiction website I am posting it on. But Tumblr is dead, and I'm extra as hell, so... Here are the ingredients.
> 
> 1\. Sympathetic magic  
> 2\. Unicorn Knight  
> 3\. Enchanted forest  
> 4\. Trickster god
> 
> so let's see where this goes

Ariadne had been fourteen when she first saw the unicorn.  It was a glorious beast, shining white among the green foliage of Yuu forest.  She'd still lived with her mother, then--Training the littlest girl how to feel the earth and measure her herbs right and making tree roots grow into little figurines instead of helping with the household chores.  It just was a flash, but Ariadne would bet her life on the fact that she had seen a unicorn on that day.

She told her mother about it later that day, who smiled cryptically and told her a story of Idra, the forest's rumored unicorn protector.Ari didn't find it to helpful; Idra had a tawny coat, not one of pure white. 

"Unicorns are the only truly good creature, you know."  Her mother had smiled and placed her dish to the side.  "It was said that when you die they're the ones that judge your virtue."

 "According to what faith?” 

"The Cult of Jino, mostly."  Her mother looked slightly embarrassed.  "But followers of the Earth Mother and Jianti also had unicorns as creatures of judgement.  The only impartial creatures in the world."

Ari nodded, steadying her features.  "The Earth mother had many different faces depending on your reigon.  The followers of Pulga once caused the turning of an entire town to stone, and another sect that worshiped Hyra overwhelmed a city with vines and trees.  All harm caused by overexcitement, rather than malice.”

"And Jianati?"

"A moon goddess used as a symbol of prosperity in a dead kingdom in the east.  Was said to gorge herself on mortal pleasures during day so she could glow during night.  Followers disappeared when Yuell did a year before the old faiths died out"

"And what is Yuell connected to?"

"Jino."  Ari blinked a few times.  "Unicorns go back to Jino, don't they?  Either to their forest or to Jino."

"Remind me to tell you the tale of Jino and the Lilac.  But that's enough lore for the day."  Her mother ruffled her hair affectionately before turning back to the dishes.  

"Ma."  Ari called finally.  "Do we believe in Jino, here?"

"He wasn't a god."  Her ma assured.  "He was worse."

 

~ * ~

 

Ariadne was sixteen when she saw the Unicorn again while burning sage to purify her flute.She'd been teaching the roots of her flower pots to depict Jino and the Great Web again and it always left the energy of her pipe feeling off. She’d been trying a few months, but the roots refused to show Jino in any form but playing his flute with eyes closed.  His character was far too nuanced to only have one acceptable form.

Ari didn't believe in most of the gods she worshipped: didn't believe that eating well on new moons was necessary to make the moon come back at all and didn’t believe that the earth she pulled her power from was one big woman, no more than she thought a woman that powerful would be letting the sky fuck her over like in the Hyra and Kei the sky god.  Ariadne preferred Tyrll, the tiger goddess, but her mother hadn't been enthusiastic the first time she dressed up in skins and went hunting in the night like an animal, so she'd toned down that faith to just sacrificing part of anything that she had to kill.  

Little Natalie claimed she wasn't little anymore, but as Ariadne was ten years older than her she knew better.  Still, it meant that any worship of Ne'Okna, the goddess of female pleasure, was not permissible in any place a little girl might let herself end up in, and that was everywhere. 

 She'd brought the half completed artwork with her, hoping she'd be able to finish it if she could banish the discordant energy that interrupted her.  She'd already gotten the image of the Great Spider just right (a creature that Ma had assured her was a real God, of the old and minor sort that was boring except for the mortal that managed to slay it).

 The unicorn came while she began Jino's form again, passing into the meadow to look at the distracted Ariadne like she was as fascinating as the unicorn would be to be Ari.  It struck a pose: horn out to stab the spider, hoof up to kick it's torso in.Proud, radiant, and deadly.

 The Unicorn held the pose even when Ari looked over, but whinnied and dropped it’s pose when she dropped her flute in surprise. In a flash the unicorn was gone again, leaving just a shadow of unusual magic behind.

 When she told her mother about the fascinating scene she laughed but told her not to spread such silly fantasies in front of Natalie.  "You're near an adult, now.  You go telling the Great Coven that you think you've sighted undocumented unicorns and you'll get us into all sorts of trouble."

 Yes, mama."  Ari huffed.“But I swear to Tyrll I saw it.”

 

~ * ~

 

Ari did not have to wait two more years to see the unicorn again.  When it came out of the trees this time she was already depicting it, teaching the silvery grasses by the Yuu river how to weave themselves into shapes.  The grass unicorn stood ready to attack, solid yet delicate enough that near anything could tear it to bits.   She noticed the unicorn as soon as it came this time but made no motion to greet it; just informed the grasses that the hair should be even lighter than the rest of the body and that the horn was a spiral.  

 The unicorn seemed as pleased as a horse’s expression could manage, this time posing itself itself look like a creature of many mysteries rather than a creature of bloodshed—Or at least that’s how Ari’s muse read it.

 She started on another grass sculpture and tried to recreate the feeling with intricate patterns and abstraction.  The unicorn watched until it realized that she was not making an equine figure and then left.  Ariadne watched it go, wrinkling her brow.  _What is your obsession with your appearance?_   She wondered.  _Conceit isn't exactly the height of morality._

 She did not bother telling her mother of the unicorn this time, but did ask to hear a story about Idra.

 “All places, especially forests such as this, have myths of times long past.  It is our family's job to collect these ancient stories and pass them through generations so they do not disappear."  Her mother began every tale like this, a reminder of the responsibility of the Liberakis lineage as educators and scholars along with that of the usual witch.  "But no lore of our forest is as sacred as Idra, the Unicorn of Ether.  Every forest has it's own unicorn, and that forest that loses its unicorn is the next to fall to darkness.  Most Unicorns are aloof and never seen but in times of great trauma, such as fires and deforestations.  Idra is one of the few exceptions. 

 "I have already taught you of how Idra came to this forest, rising out of the Yuu when the forest first realized it was alive.  But Idra has many other tales, the most important of which is her role in the Siege of the Quieri Library.  Witches did not always pass information exactly as we do now: long ago there was a gigantic library nestled in the branches of the biggest tree in the forest, home to a collection of records more complete than the libraries of the modern mage academy."  Her mother took a bundle of dried rosemary and began to dice it as she spoke.  "Inside was every spell a witch had recorded and every rite of every god, written in books without human intervention.  It was the ultimate place of knowledge, and all the witches of the world enjoyed it in harmony.

 "Then came the Dolovai invasion."  She placed the rosemary in a metal bowl with a single twig of oak and lit it, the makeshift incense slowly filling the room.  This tradition was not inherently magical, but it had long been proven to Ari that she remembered things better while the smoke still hung in the air.  "And their worship of angels.  A priest of the dominant faith,” (Her mother never used the real name for the religion most followed as if it were a slur.) “heard of the library from a nonmagical performance of the ancient song The Ballad of Inquiry, one of the three great songs of Jino.  He learned of harmony between many gods still active in territory he thought he'd contained and ordered for the library be destroyed

 "After years of searching he finally found this forest and the Quieri library was laid siege to for ten days and nights.  It is to this day the largest gathering of witches for one common goal: to protect our Great Library.  However, the priest's crusade did not come without magic users of it's own and soon people became disillusioned with protecting a resource that they may use once, and the unity started to break.  Eventually the remaining witches could not control the fires, and most ran away.

 "However, representatives of five lines stayed: the Zenn, Poko, Hollow, Glittergold, and Liberakis families.  Then came Idra, running through the forest like a god reborn.  Idra did not stop the fire or save the library, but reached out with her magic and gave part of the knowledge to each family to be passed down through generations.  The Liberakis were given the task of preserving the old of faiths as they become swallowed by the Single God, so if He ever was to disappear the land need not be faithless."

 Ari nodded, breathing in the rosemary.  "Ma, I have a question."

 "Always, dear."

 "What are the three great songs of Jino?"

 "Always so curious about him."  Her mother laughed.  "The Ballad of Inquiry, a song to answer any question if performed correctly, The All Aria, a spell that can create anything if sung as a duet, and the Hymn of Yew, a forbidden song of necromancy that uses witchcraft to bring a person back to life."

 "Isn't all necromancy forbidden?"

 "Well, yes." Her mother conceded.  "But this song is worse. It does not animate dead into a zombie, and it does not kill, but it interferes with local time and causes a dead person to return to a truly living state.  Even Jino couldn't cast it correctly, and all knowledge we’ve managed to retain says there was a terrible consequnce.”

 “Unknown, huh?”Ari thought about that for a bit.“Is that why Yuell disappeared?  The Hymn of Yew went wrong?"

 "That's one theory.  But an unpopular one, even among those who believe Yuell was ever real."

 "Do we believe that?"

 "Without a shred of doubt.  But it can no longer be found on mortal feet, and none that have attempted to teleport have returned.  Portals just collapse."  The last of the incense burned out, which meant it was time to end the sharing of lore.  "Well then.  Let's prepare food, shall we?"

 

~ * ~

 

The next time Ari saw the unicorn she created a near perfect replica from tree roots and and asked if it's name was Idra.  It shook it's horse head and looked out to the forest as if to say ‘No, but she's around.’

 The forest had two unicorns, and that was said to be impossible.

 

~ * ~

 

The fifth time she saw the unicorn she chose to make a statue out of clay because that took a lot longer than making one from plants and she wanted the unicorn to stay.  It left almost immediately but soon returned pulling a giant block of the most beautiful white clay Ari had ever seen on a plank of wood.  It shimmered in the sunlight and practically sang of magical energy.

 It pained her to waste it on yet another depiction of the unicorn, but she got to spend five hours with the beast.  When the statue was complete the unicorn instantly fired it into a beautiful stone statue.Ari tried to approach the unicorn, but it ran away.

 

~ * ~

 

"Ma, can people ride unicorns?"  Ari asked one night after tucking Natalie into bed.

 "It is said there is a secret caste of knights that ride unicorns.”  Her mother winked at her.  "But Idra isn't looking for one, so you'll have to settle for a horse."'

 Ariadne got rather good at horse riding after that and had never enjoyed herself more.  She continued to make statues for the vain unicorn, sometimes using Otto as a model when the unicorn was absent.

 She went to get her horse on an autumn afternoon and found it had numerous puncture wounds in the chest and the magic of a unicorn hung heavy in the air.  She did tell her mother about this, who assumed the stallion had been possessed and was glad it was gone and made a sacrifice to Idra at their shrine.  That night she told the story of when the entire Yuu dried up that night because a water demon drank it all and Idra made great flows of water from her horn to restore it.  

 Next time Ari sculpted the unicorn she placed a saddle blanket on it.  The blanket quickly caught on fire, and Ariadne supposed that was answer enough.

 

~ * ~

 

The next time she saw the unicorn it was holding a full saddle of beautiful silver, and after the statue of birch was complete the unicorn fitted it itself.  When Ari approached to touch the beast, it bolted.

 

~ * ~

 

The first time the unicorn let Ari touch it was a year later, with just a single hand on it's head.  In exchange she enchanted her next statue to glow silver, which pleased the unicorn to no end.  

 "What's your name?"  Ari asked finally, not expecting an answer.

  _Sage_.  The 'voice' came out of nowhere, and Ari jumped back.  When she looked up, Sage was gone.

 

~ * ~

 

"There are two unicorns in the forest."  She told her mom eventually in the most serious tone she could manage  Her mom dropped her fork and looked Ari in the eyes.

 "Ari, please."

 "There are.  The second one is named Sage.  I've been meeting with it for years."  Ari insisted.  "I've made numerous statues."

 Her mom paused.  "You're old enough not to tell me fictions.  There are two unicorns in this forest."  Her brow furrowed.  "That's not a good thing."

 "I know."  Ari whispered.  "I'm going to ride it out of here, for my knowledge quest.  I'll leave as soon as it lets me mount it."

 "You are around that age.What will you study?”

 “Unicorns.”Ari looked her mother in the eyes, then.“And the Yuell forest.”


	2. A Unicorn is Always Picky When Choosing a Knight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Courting a Unicorn

Sometimes Ariadne just sat with Sage and talked to him. Sage rarely replied unless he felt the need to insult, but Ariadne supposed Unicorns could get away with things like that. That was alright--Ariadne could talk enough for both of them. She did have to practice her preaching if she was to tell the tales of old civilizations to Catechists and not be arrested for heresy (like her uncle Kyle and grandmother Queenie), just in case riding in on a Unicorn wasn’t enough to prove she wasn’t an agent of evil.

"There used to be a cast of warriors that worshipped Tryll scattered across the entire continent.  An entire society of female warriors; which was odd because back then it was illegal for a lady to brandish a weapon larger than a dagger.  Tyrll warriors used swords and battle axes. They were not accepted into any army, but they fought in many wars. It’s said they followed the orders directly from the Tiger Goddess."

_ I know all of this, mortal. _ Sage replied.  _ Their queen was my knight for years. _

"What?" Ari perked up. "Was she as brave as the myths said? As beautiful? Did she actually kill a hundred men? Did she have calves of iron?"

_ Well of course. _ Sage kicked at the earth.  _ I wouldn't let someone ugly ride me, and a hundred is an understatement. _

"Lucky." Ari drew out the word, whining. "I want a beautiful warrior queen to ride me."

_ The world is starved of beautiful warrior queens, unfortunately. You'll have to settle for a curious maiden. _

"Well, a girl can't have everything." Ari laughed, resting her head on the grass. "You're nothing like the myths on unicorns peg you as."

_ Well of course. You fools only tell tales of the protective unicorns, not the traveling ones. I've only stayed here for these years because of you. _

"Why?" Ari was surprised. "I'm not exceptional like a warrior queen."

_ Queen Mirataki was not exceptional because she was a queen. She was exceptional because she was smart and resourceful, and a badass. _

"So does that mean I'm a badass?

_ Hell no. But you're a decent artist and a Liberakis who hadn't proved herself as dull as Mabel or as arrogant as Paul. _

"What about me ma? I think she'd qualify as exceptional."

_ But she's not beautiful. Even as a child her nose was too big and her skin too rough. _

"That's--" Well, Sage wasn't wrong about that. "Unkind."

_ Unicorns have to be honest, not nice.  _ Sage laughed, which seemed rather... off when done through telepathy. Manufactured.

"So you're gonna let me ride you?"

_ Maybe if you never use the word 'gonna' again. _ Sage shook his head, an oddly human gesture to come from a horse.  _ You'll have to act like a lady. _

"So that's your way of saying 'not now?"

_ That's my way of saying it's time to prove yourself. _

 

~ * ~

 

"Ma, did you know that Queen Mirataki rode a unicorn?"

"No." Hannah Liberakis scowled. "But we'll have to discuss this later. Natalie is too young to learn about the Tyrll Warriors."

"I'm not too young to learn about anything!" Natalie pouted. "Ari teaches me all sorts of things--”  Ari shot her little sister a harsh glare, and Natalie flushed. "She's been teaching me the means of herbs." Natalie whispered, which wasn't a lie. She'd just also been teaching her to use a sword, because she'd asked and Natalie was already seven years old.  Plenty old enough to hold a sword, in Ari’s opinion.

"Oh.  Just don't mess around with strange magics. That's the most important part."

"Yes, Mama." Natalie nodded. "You're a better teacher than Ari anyways."

"I've had more experience." Hannah smiled, showing off slightly crooked teeth.  _ Sage was right. _ Ari caught herself thinking.  _ Ma is too ugly to ride a unicorn. _ "I guess it's alright, then. What were you saying about Mirataki?"

"She was a unicorn knight. Sage was her mount from her coronation to her death."

This was the first time Ariadne had taught her mother something she did not already know, and Ari wasn’t ashamed of being a bit smug about it.

 

~ * ~

 

"Sage." Ariadne was sitting on a clay statue she had made of the unicorn about a month ago. "What do I have to do to ride you? What do you expect?"

_ It's different for everyone. Mirataki had to kill ten men, Lilia had to fast for a year without dying, and Etienne had to sing the most beautiful song I'd ever heard. I won't know what you need to do until you've done it. _

"That sucks." Ari complained. "How am I meant to impress someone as conceited as you?"

_ Mirataki was strong and tall with the psyche of a warrior. Lilia was a determined monk with a strong sense of morality. Etienne was a twink with an unparalleled singing voice. _

"That piece of wise wisdom was polluted by the use of the word 'Twink,' my liege." Ariadne said with as much sarcasm as she could muster. "And you're a hypocrite."

_ I never claimed not to be _ . Sage pawed the earth, looking to the forest. _ I must go. I have an appointment to make. _

"You've never told me where you were going before."

_ I'd never had an obligation to, my knight. _ With that Sage left, in that confusing way that made it look like he just disappeared even when you kept your eyes on him the entire time.

 

~ * ~

 

Ariadne spent hours teaching the plants to dance and imitate a real animal even without her magical intervention. It was the most difficult thing she'd ever done.

"Have you made progress with your unicorn?" Her mother asked her one night. "You're getting far too old to stay at home."

"Yes." Ari nodded. "I really think I have."

A weaved grass unicorn glowing silver frolicked in the grass, living even as it pulled itself from the ground. Sage lay nearby, watching Ari's concentration with amusement.

_ Drop your power, now. _ He instructed.  Ari did, and the straw unicorn did not crumble like it had in her last attempt, instead just freezing in place. Ari groaned, burrowing her head in her hands.

"What am I doing wrong?" She complained, placing her head in her hands.

_ Your statue has no heart. _

"I've put all my heart into this, you br--" Her words died as she stared at the hollow statue.  "You mean... A place to store power, so when I drop it the unigrass can stay animated?"

_ Something like that.  _ Sage liked being cryptic about what the hell he wanted from her.

"But what on earth could I use as a heart?" Sage didn’t say anything else, just staring at her until it was time for him to leave her again.

At least Sage was polite enough to say goodbye before he ran off this time, which Ariadne supposed was an improvement, but didn't tell her where he was going. She wondered how Sage always seemed to know where she was, but decided not to dwell too long on things she doubted she really wanted to know.

 

~ * ~

 

She had tried three hearts so far; one had lit the grass on fire, one had done nothing, and her favorite of them had exploded after two minutes. Ariadne considered that a highly successful trial--her masterpiece kept both moving and glowing after she dropped her influence on it. There was something missing; something to stabilize the magic without directly contacting it.

There were many stones with stabilizing properties, but her family wasn't exactly rich enough to waste precious jewels on animated grass unicorns, so she never bothered asking. The only thing more stabilizing than stones was the hair of unicorn, which was even more precious and a commodomy so sought for that some would kill to get it--

"Sage, could I have some of your hair?" Ariadne asked shamelessly. "Just a strand. For our unigrass."

_ Sure. I was wondering when you'd be bright enough to ask for that. _ Sage ducked his head and let Ari pluck a strand from his mane.  _ But don't expect me to let you do that often. _

She fitted the heart into the unigrass (near the center of the body, suspended by grass) and fed power into the statue, closing her eyes and humming with the subtle vibrations of the forest. Then she let go.

The unigrass acted on it's own volition for an hour (then two, then five, then for two days). It did slow down occasionally, but as long as Ariadne refilled the battery it would stay up and running indefinitely. Sage was pleased with it, liking to run around and pretend the unigrass was slow enough it was any challenge to chase it.

_ His name is Thyme.  _ Sage decided one day, and Ariadne knew she had won.

 

~ * ~

 

There was nothing more freeing than being on the back of a unicorn. The next time Ari saw her new patron he had brought back that silver saddle he'd shown her all that time ago, made of finer cloths than she could even dream of with stirrups of what seemed to be solid silver.

_ You won't need them to guide me.  _ Sage informed her. _ I can read your mind a lot faster than I can rely on rudimentary tactile cues. But this is the saddle my riders have used since my very first rider, and I will never use another one. _

"It's been around all this time and it's still in this condition?"

_ Yes. One of the ways I kept it that way was not letting grubby fingered humans rub their oily hands all over it. _

"Oh." Ari pulled back. "Sorry. Give me a leg up?"

_ Sure.  _ Ari moved to straddle the saddle, placing her feet in the stirrups and letting her weight shift to where her instincts told it to be. She did not look excited, but her heartbeat was resounding and the reality that she was riding a unicorn was undeniable. Sage seemed unaffected, but Ari imagined this moment was as emotionally important to him was it was to her, at least by whatever standard unicorns felt emotions. She got the feeling that unicorns were not quite the same as humans in that regard.

"I'm your knight now." Ari whispered, voice quavering.

_ Oh come on.  _ Sage complained. _ Is that really the best you've got? _

"No." Ari agreed, taking a shuddering breath and holding in the tears. "I am Ariadne Liberakis, the Unicorn Knight of Yuu. I will not bow." Her voice was steady even if her heart was uneasy, and Sage whinnied in approval. Ariadne how many people the ancient asshole had done that for. "I suppose I have to introduce you to my mother now."

_ Ugh. Well, at least you and your little sister are pretty, so I won't be stewing in ugly. _

"There's really no need to be so insulting." Ari pouted. "It's not as if she's a troll."

_ Trolls embrace their hideousness. Where do you want me to take you? _

"All across the continent, hopefully. I want to learn as much as possible." Ari took in a breath. "How do you think people will react to a girl just... Riding in on her unicorn?"

_ I'm not sure, but it will be a riot. Mortals are so easily impressed. _

"Hey! I'm a mortal, and I'm offended by your implications that a Unicorn is not impressive." Sage gave another of his unnatural laughs, and Ari replied on her training not to shiver. "Why do you insist on being called a boy, anyways? It's not as if you have any genitalia."

_ Because I'm wild. The dainty little unicorns that stay and protect their dumb collections of trees all call themselves she, the ones like me that take knights for their source of power and travel go by he. We're rarely usually on good terms. _

"Idra isn't exactly dainty." Ariadne insisted. "She's kind of a badass, really."

_ She's dainty _ . Sage insisted.  _ Even with her great miracles and walking out of a glowing river; truly lacks backbone. Not a shred of killer in her. And she's one of the best of them. _

"So you're a killer?" Ari wasn't bothered by the implication; she assumed that a unicorn with such a sharp horn and powerful hooves wouldn't be beyond murder, but she wasn't expecting him to admit it.

_ Well of course _ . Sage confirmed.  _ What else would I be? _

 

~ * ~

 

The ceremony for a Liberakis embarking on their lore quest was not unlike a knighting. Natalie was excessively pleased with Sage, like nothing but a little girl can be, but Sage was quick enough to dash away before Natalie laid her 'Grubby little child hands' on his flank. He made sure to threaten her mother with certain death if she would be so brave as to touch him, along with comparing her to animals such as ghouls and trolls, but her mother was savvy enough to let it roll off her back without trouble.

"You've been waiting your entire life for this day."

"What, proving to you that I can ride a unicorn?" Ari joked, trying to hide the misting in her eyes.

“Obviously not. They day you can embark on your lore quest." Her mother flicked her on the nose like she had with as a child. "Now kneel in the array like a good girl and pray."

"Yes, mama."

There was a strict rule in the Liberakis family never to do magic you didn't understand.  It was the most reasonable of rules inflicted upon Ariadne: if you didn’t understand the spell you didn’t understand the cost, and if you didn’t understand the cost it was always too much.  Still, rules were meant to be broken, and no one had any idea how the hell the Lara array worked, why it was called the Lara array, or when it’s connected ritual entered family tradition. Still, Ari felt no hesitation to step into it and kneel with her head bowed, feeling the intense pull of magic all around her.  It was breathtaking: the feeling that she sat at the center of the universe, some sort of song filling her ears, wordless and beautiful. She gasped, tears beginning to fill her eyes.

She did not understand the words her mother chanted as she walked along the circle, dropping stones onto the now glowing lines of the array.  The sound became louder with every stone that fell, humanoid figures darting just past her field of vision, featureless and glowing. She swore she saw one of them riding the silhouette of a unicorn, bouncing off the edge of the array as it attempted to escape.  Ari was sobbing now: it was far too much and she wanted it to  _ stop-- _

The final stone sounded like thunder as it it the array, the lines that previously glowed like the northern lights suddenly going pitch black.  Ari sat in the middle of the circle, sobbing, and clutching an amulet in her palm that had not been there before. An intense feeling of loss swept over her, like something had been taken she’d never get back, but all she could bring herself to do was cry.

“Ariadne Liberakis of Yuu.”  Her mother whispered in her sweet, melodious voice.  “Rise and meet your destiny.”

Ariadne rose slowly, her entire body beginning to shake as she clutched the amulet to her chest, raising her gaze to the sky and the elusive light that shined through the leaves. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coming up next: Unicorns Cannot be Tried For Murder


End file.
